TRUTH
Read Amos chapters 8 & 9 for context
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God , “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. – Amos 8:11 ESV
HOPE
The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. – Proverbs 10:3 ESV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. – Matthew 5:6 ESV
FAITH
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. – John 16:13-15 ESV
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. – 1 John 2:28-29 ESV
LOVE
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. – 1 John 3:7-11 ESV
Do you know Jesus Christ, close and personal, not as some far away story that you’ve heard ABOUT but as your personal Savior, LORD, and friend? Do you long to grow closer and closer to Him or do you shrink back? Do not be mistaken, as Amos chapters 8 and 9 make clear, there is a righteous judgement for the wicked. But He did not come to condemn, but to rescue. Lay down your chains and take up your cross, dead man, to follow Him in life. Abide in Christ and He in you. Hunger and thirst for the things of God. You who know Him, seek His will diligently to be done in your life by washing in the Word of God to see your mind renewed. Turn away from the world and draw close to the LORD. He will be your helmet of salvation. He will be your breastplate of righteousness. He will be your belt of truth. He will be your shield of Faith. He will be your sword because He is the Word of God. Carry this Good News forth to the nations, your feet are beautiful messenger of God.
Harold J. Ballinger 